FOLEY – In three hearings Wednesday for the men suspected in a deadly Sauk Rapids shooting, one man pleaded not guilty, another filed a motion to keep two cases from proceeding jointly and a third man's attorney asked the court to dismiss a grand jury indictment for first-degree murder.

William Demont White Jr., 20, of St. Cloud; Nokomis Lee Jefferson, 26, of Chicago; and Vance Diwayne Laster, 38, of St. Cloud, are charged in the Feb. 16 shooting death of Joe Ditthideth and the wounding of Nathan Phrachomphonh.

A grand jury indicted White, Laster and Jefferson on two counts of first-degree murder. They each face a total of 15 charges, including four counts of second-degree murder, assault, arson and several charges for crimes committed for the benefit of a gang.

In court Monday, Jefferson's lawyer opposed the state's motion to join Jefferson and White's cases and filed a motion to dismiss.

Nokomis Lee Jefferson(Photo: Courtesy of Benton County Jail)

According to a memorandum filed by Assistant Attorney General David Miller, Jefferson and White acted in "the same place at the same time." Forcing victims to give testimony repeatedly in separate cases would "take a toll on their emotional and psychological well-being," the memo said.

White also appeared in court Wednesday afternoon, where his lawyer said he would seek to have White's indictment dismissed.

Willie Demont White(Photo: Courtesy of Benton County Jail)

If it is not dismissed, White's lawyer asked the court for identifying information about one grand juror. According to a motion filed Aug. 9, the information would be used "to conduct an investigation into the state of mind of Grand Juror #18."

The court took the motion under advisement, and Benton County Judge Robert Raupp asked for written briefs to avoid discussion of grand jury matters in a public hearing.

Vance Diwayne Laster(Photo: Courtesy of Benton County Jail)

Laster, in a separate hearing, pleaded not guilty to all 15 charges. Laster has a settlement conference set for Sept. 26.

According to the criminal complaints against them, the five men went to Checkers Bar in St. Paul on the night leading up to the shooting. According to court records, authorities contend they all left the bar early the morning of Feb. 16 and drove to an address at Old Creek Place in Sauk Rapids where Ditthideth and Phrachomphonh were shot.

Follow Clairissa Baker on Twitter @clairissabaker and email her at cmbaker@stcloudtimes.com.